A good night’s sleep; Sleepy time tips for kids

For Littles…

A consistent bedtime routine pays off. Stick to a pattern of bath, reading, cuddling, etc., to help your child’s body get the message that it’s time for sleep.

Turn off the screens, as experts agree that using them too close to bedtime interferes with getting quality sleep. Make a one-hour digital curfew before bedtime. This applies to kids—and us moms.

Let your kids pick out their pajamas, and choose a special blanket or lovey that’s just for bedtime.

If your child is waking up too early and they are able to read numbers, put a fun, easy-to-read clock in their room so they can know when it’s okay to get up.

For Big Kids…

It’s the same deal for screens, which are more heavily used by older kids. Invest in having open, calm conversations about how screen time impacts their sleep and why setting phones aside an hour before bed matters. Look into Brick, which is a device that locks you out of your phone.

If possible, create a work zone away from the bedroom for homework. The separation helps create a boundary between sleep and work.

Tempting though it may be for teens to sleep until noon on the weekends, waking up each day at roughly the same time is known to improve overall sleep quality.

Set a good example for your kids when it comes to sleep hygiene, as it’s called. They are watching your habits.

If we have daylight savings…

This fall, daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1. That’s if we still have daylight saving time at all. At press time, the decision on whether it was going to end permanently was one for the Senate.

If we keep using it, adjust your child’s schedule gradually — make bedtime about 15 minutes earlier each day for four days before daylight saving time ends and try to wake your child up 15 minutes earlier each day. The same approach works in the spring when daylight saving time begins, just gradually adjust sleep and wake times later.